Stephen A. Smith Already Prefers Patrick Mahomes Over Tom Brady

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is just two Super Bowl titles deep into a still-young NFL career, however, how much credit does the 28-year-old deserve up to this point?

Before taking the field for a shot at No. 3 against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, Mahomes was dragged into a premature debate. Does one take Mahomes or seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady? ESPN personality and co-host of “First Take” Stephen A. Smith chimed in with yet another debate stance.

“I’m (taking) Mahomes,” Smith told 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Felger and Mazz” on Friday. “… I use this analogy with NBA all the time. My answer to a specific question about NBA players over the course of 48 minutes is different than what it is when you ask me about somebody in the last two minutes. So in other words, when you bring up that analogy, if you gonna tell me Brady in the last two minutes, I’m with you. You tell me over the course of 48 minutes, I’m gonna give it to Mahomes.”

Brady has the obvious upper hand in the debate in terms of longevity, responsible for being the centerpiece of a multi-decade-long dynasty with the New England Patriots. Brady is also the only quarterback to defeat Mahomes in the Super Bowl, doing so with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021.

Granted, since Brady stepped off the field for good and retired in 2023, it’s been all Mahomes. The Chiefs, although underdogs in the eyes of the oddsmakers entering the winner-take-all battle in Las Vegas have performed like anything but a team to be doubted.

Kansas City has emerged as the NFL’s strongest candidate for the next to undergo a dynasty similar to New England’s. Meanwhile, Mahomes has remained consistently dominant, going 14-3 while throwing 39 interceptions in his first 17 postseason appearances.

A victory over Brock Purdy and the 49ers will only amplify Mahomes’ case in the eyes of Smith and many others on that side of the debate.